Apple’s now commanding 2 billion active devices around the world

Apple has reached a new milestone on how many people are actively using iPhones, iPads, Macs, and its other hardware products: 2 billion. The number highlights fast growth for the company, which hit 1.5 billion active devices at the start of 2020 and only surpassed 1 billion back in 2016.

Apple was trekking quickly toward the 2 billion milestone after it hit 1.8 billion active devices only a year ago thanks to record device sales in 2021 that dodged supply chain challenges stemming from the pandemic.

The news comes as Apple releases its first quarter earnings that highlights its performance during the holiday months. “During the December quarter, we achieved a major milestone and are excited to report that we now have more than 2 billion active devices as part of our growing installed base,” Apple CEO Tim Cook said.

The sizable install base of iOS, macOS, and other Apple devices compares to 3 billion active Android devices, as Google reported in 2021. Google counts active Android devices as ones that have access to the Google Play store, so the real number could be higher if counting phones from China that don’t include it.